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Tailored Pet rises from the dead — thanks to former workers

By Gersh Kuntzman
The Brooklyn Paper
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Here's what The Tailored Pet looked like in January, after the death of owner Serena Bellino.

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The Tailored Pet is back from the dead — reborn as “Rocco and Jezebel.”

Former employees of beloved pet shop owner Serena Bellino, whose 35-year-old store closed after she died in December, will reopen this Saturday with a new name, a new look, but a commitment to the same service that Bellino provided for decades.

Brooklyn Conservatory

“We’re just trying to keep her memory and her name alive with this store,” said William Johnson, who worked for Bellino for 16 years and will work at the renamed store.

The store needed a new name — which honors the new owners pets — because Bellino’s estate owns her “Tailored Pet” logos and copyrights, Johnson said, but he wasn’t concerned about attracting Bellino’s former customers.

“The old customers have been asking for us for months when we were going to reopen,” he said.

Co-owner Andrea Demetropoulos said the store had made some minor changes — “We’ve painted it out totally white and put in less merchandise so it’s less cluttered” — but the store would still do boarding and grooming.

New services (for the dogs, alas) include stuffed chairs — “for the animals to hang out on,” said Demetropoulos, who worked for Bellino for four years.

There will also be a dog-walking service and in-house dog playdates.

Makes you wish you were a dog sometimes.

Rocco and Jezebel [89 Pineapple Walk, between Cadman Plaza West and Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights, (718) 855-8686] will be open Monday through Saturday, 8:30 am to 6:30 pm.

©2009 Community Newspaper Group

←Fort Greene: Fight night
→Brooklyn Heights: There went the bride — on the 4 train

Reader Feedback

Karma from Bklyn Heights says:
Word on the street is that the new owners are trash talking established pet care providers in the nabe.

Very bad new/re-opening business karma. There's plenty of business to go around. Serena would not be pleased.

Hopefully the new owner will wise up quickly. With business karma, what goes around comes around.
May 13, 2009, 10:45 pm
Hairless-Dog Owner from South Brooklyn says:
Karma: One, maybe more, of those 'victims' very steadily dumped on T. Pets, in online venues, pre-December, and started up again recently -- pitching their own place(s) and dissing TP, while posing as 'clients.'

I'm not in the Hts, don't even pass THROUGH the Hts., and don't use groomers, but I kept seeing the above nut-wars on dog-type sites - since I DO have a dog.

I was surprised to see that anti-TP junk restart, since I thought the place closed. So now I know that the sniping resumed because the joint reopened. [It also looks like some of the 'snipists' have used this as a marketing tactic for years.]

I wish ALL of these people would get a grip; the sniping and sources are so obvious. Maybe too much loose-fur inhalation is making them all bonkers, because it's not as if Brooklyn is running out of groomable dogs!
May 14, 2009, 2:53 pm
Andrea from Brooklyn Heights says:
I just want to thank the newspaper for writing a wonderful article about our reopening The Tailored Pet now named Rocco and Jezebel. As for the comments I guess some people really do not know me, my husband or William because word on the street is that we're really not so terrible. We welcome all comments and suggestions face to face. Thanks for everyone's support.
May 14, 2009, 10:59 pm
sal from heights says:
*Always* glad to have more groomers in the Heights! Because it can get pretty hothouse-y, and I like to know that there are many different vibes and choices.
Competition and variety are *good things*!
May 15, 2009, 11:25 am
Gerald from Brooklyn Heights says:
Karma from Bklyn Heights says: 'Very bad new/re-opening business karma. There's plenty of business to go around.'

_Pleasepleaseohplease_ tell that to the BH grooming shops that have been in uninterrupted business for years, but engage in periodic flame-warfare versus others, and or mass-produce hyperbolic online raves for themselves.
That behavior is utterly unnecessary (as well as alienating and creepy), since there is _more_ than "plenty of business to go around."
May 16, 2009, 5:26 am
Karla from Brooklyn Heights says:
Andrea, you go girl. Take the high road. It is obvious that the opening comment is from the competing business.

How transparent.

It is a shame that such tactics are used. I respect you rising above the uncalled for comments.

Now if only of governmental bodies could be so mature.

By the way, I'll drop by your opening on Saturday, May 16th.

Good luck with your new venture.
May 16, 2009, 10:43 am
Harry from Cobble Hill says:
Karla says --- '''It is obvious that the opening comment is from the competing business. How transparent.'''
Agree. The Heights has gotten a reputation for groomer smear campaigns, with someone trying to stifle other businesses. It stands out, since groomers prosper all over nyc without leaning on such tactics.
May 16, 2009, 5:42 pm
Lynn from Brooklyn Heights says:
Harry, karla, and all, so what else is new? Every time some new groomer opens up or gets traction, reps from two places in particular try to shoot 'em down by rumor mill or anonyposts. "Transparent" isn't the word for it.
May 18, 2009, 3:28 am
Hillary from Crown Heights says:
Anyone who knows my mother at all knows that the idea of her trash talking anyone is totally absurd. I am beyond proud of her and my dad, they are truly good hearted people. The pets of Brooklyn Heights could not be in better hands.
June 1, 2009, 5:21 pm
BROOKLYN DOG WALKER from BROOKLYN says:
brooklyn dog walker
Feb. 19, 2010, 11:47 pm

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